Now that business lunches (or even a long lunch with friends) are back on the menu - here's where to try London's best establishments with entry-level set lunch offers. And remember:
- Make sure the set lunch deal is running for the day of your booking
- If there's a signature dish you fancy and don't mind paying full price, ask about adding it to your order
- And if you want to stick to the budget, tread lightly around the wine list.
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
Alain Ducasse at the DorchesterMayfair - 53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA
This three Michelin-starred restaurant (a rarity in London) from this esteemed French chef is hidden inside the Dorchester and normally costs an arm and a leg. The set price lunch is an excellent way to test the place out without hurting your bank balance too much and changes every Wednesday.
The offer: Three courses, two glasses of wine, half a bottle of mineral water and coffee or tea for £70.
Available: Wednesday to Friday
More about Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
Alain Ducasse is closed at the time of writing but returns 25 August 2021
Angler
AnglerCity - South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, London EC2M 2AF
This restaurant sits on the top of the South Place hotel and, as you can imagine from the title, does have a focus on fish. Expect a fine fining experience which has gained the restaurant a Michelin star.
The offer: Three courses for £38
Available: Wednesday to Saturday
Aqua Shard
Aqua ShardThe Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY
Dinner in any of the Shard's restaurants can be hard on the wallet, but head up there for lunch and you can take advantage of Aqua Shard's set price lunch. And yes, there's one of the best views in town to enjoy while you're there. So that's a bonus.
The offer: Three courses for £34
Available: Monday to Friday
Aquavit
AquavitSt James's Market, 1 Carlton Street, London SW1Y 4QQ
St James isn't the first, second or even third place you'd look to for a bargain meal out in London but two courses for under £25 is a bit of a steal in these here parts. Expect a bit of Nordic action here.
The offer: Two courses, £29, three courses £32
Available: Wednesday to Friday
Bellamy's
Bellamy'sMayfair - 518 Bruton Pl, London W1J 6LY
The Table d'Hote set lunch menu at Bellamy's is a complete steal for Mayfair and very useful to know about as it's available at both lunch and dinner. The menu changes weekly and at the time of writing included such treats as vitello tonnato and grilled quail with lemon sauce.
The offer: £25 for two courses, £29.50 for three
Available: Monday to Saturday lunch and dinner
Benares
BenaresMayfair - 12A Berkeley Square House, Berkely Square, London W1J 6BS
Benares on Berkeley Square features an upscale menu featuring modern Indian cuisine with a British twist. It recently regained its Michelin star and remains one of the best Indian restaurants in London.
The offer: Two courses, £29, three courses £35
Available: Tuesday - Saturday
Caractere
CaractereNotting Hill - 209 Westbourne Park Road, London W11 1EA
The latest generation of the Roux family has entered the restaurant business as Emily Roux teamed up with her husband (the head chef) Diego Ferrari opening this Notting Hill restaurant. The tasting menu is split into five sections and you can choose one of your courses from those.
The offer: Three courses for £39 (or £50 with a bottle of wine)
Available: Thursday - Saturday
Da Terra
Da TerraTown Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, London E2 9NF
This Latin American and Italian inspired restaurant in Bethnal Green won a deserved Michelin star in its first year for its truly inspired tasting menus. Lunchtime sees them offering a cut-down version.
The offer: £78 for 5 courses
The choice: Tasting menu
Available: Friday - Saturday
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Dinner by Heston BlumenthalMandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Heston's Mandarin Oriental restaurant is always one of the most popular restaurants in London. The good news is you get both the Tipsy Cake and Meat Fruit in the set lunch price.
The offer: Four courses for £75
Available: Monday to Thursday
Elystan Street
Elystan StreetChelsea - 43 Elystan St, London SW3 3NT
This is chef Phil Howard's main restaurant in Chelsea, so if you're a fan of his cooking, this is the place to come. It's earned him a Michelin star and while dinner at Elystan Street can end up being pretty punchy, this makes their set lunch deal an even bigger draw.
The offer: Three courses £35
Available: Monday to Saturday
Frenchie
FrenchieCovent Garden - 16 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH
This Parisian import quickly got a lot of positive buzz, showing that it is possible to make a very successful move from Paris to London. The set menu at lunch is an ideal chance to try it out, and you should add a bacon scone on top.
The offer: Two courses for £29 and three for £34
Available: Wednesday - Sunday
The Game Bird
The Game BirdMayfair - The Stafford London, 16-18 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NJ
This is the main restaurant at the Stafford Hotel, where the food is looked after by ex Salt Yard's Ben Tish. Expect an emphasis on British cooking and game in the main restaurant.
The offer: Two courses for £25, three for £30
Available: Monday - Saturday
Galvin at Windows
Galvin at WindowsMayfair - Hilton, 22 Park Ln, London W1K 1BE
Sadly the wonderful Fred Sirieix is no longer in charge, but you can still experience fantastic food with that 'magic touch', enjoying one of the best views in London on top of the Park Lane Hilton Hotel overlooking Hyde Park.
The offer: £39 for three courses
Available: Friday - Saturday
Galvin La Chapelle
Galvin La ChapelleCity - 35 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY
The second Galvin restaurant in the guide, this is set in the frankly stunning St Botolph's Hall. Think fine, French, Michelin-starred food in historic surroundings.
The offer: 2 courses £38.50, 3 courses: £42.50
Available: Friday - Saturday
Gymkhana
Gymkhana42 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London W1S 4JH
One of the best Indian restaurants to open in London for years, Gymkhana has a great entry-level set lunch menu making this Mayfair spot even more of an attractive proposition.
The offer: 2 courses for £27.50, 3 for £32.50 (add a carafe of wine for £19 or house punch for £9)
Available: Friday - Saturday
Hawksmoor
HawksmoorSpitalfields, Borough, City, Mayfair, Covent Garden, Knightsbridge
Famed for serving some of the best steaks in town, Hawksmoor also offer a very good deal on their Express Menu at lunchtimes across almost all of their restaurants (and early evening as well).
The offer: Two courses for £20 or three for £23.
The choice: 3-4 choices per course, including rump steak
Available: Check with venue
Helene Darroze at The Connaught
Helene Darroze at The ConnaughtThe Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
One of the main restaurants at prestigious London hotel The Connaught, this is run by French Chef Helene Darroze. Expect high-end French dining that has won the restaurant three Michelin stars.
The offer: Three courses for £75
Available: Tuesday to Friday
Hereford Road
Hereford Road3 Hereford Rd, Bayswater, London W2 4AB
Hereford Road has a regularly changing menu of seasonal British classics, led by chef/co-founder Tom Pemberton. The set lunch changes daily and is a pretty damned good deal.
The offer: Two courses for £13.50 or three for £15.50.
The choice: Three starters, three mains and three dessert choices.
Available: Monday to Friday
HIDE
HIDEMayfair - 85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB
Ollie Dabbous' Mayfair restaurant is a three-storey affair, which includes a Michelin-starred fine dining tasting menu upstairs - and you'll find the set menu there. It's pretty impressive looking throughout too.
The offer: Five courses for £48
Available: Wednesday - Sunday
The Grill at the Dorchester
The Grill at the Dorchester53 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA
Head Chef Tom Booton has brought a new lease of life to The Grill and quite a few plaudits along the way with his modern approach. The set lunch includes a few of his signature dishes so it's well worth trying.
The offer: Two courses for £23 or three for £30.
Available: Wednesday - Saturday
Ikoyi
Ikoyi1 St James's Market, St. James's, London SW1Y 4AH
This restaurant in St James's Market really adds something new to the London restaurant scene (and earned a Michelin star in double-quick time). The set lunch is an ideal opportunity to try out Jeremy Chan's inventive cooking.
The offer: Set menu for £60
Available: Thursday - Saturday
Imperial Treasure
Imperial Treasure9-10 Waterloo Pl, St. James's, London SW1Y 4BE
The original Imperial Treasure in Shanghai has two Michelin stars and this is their London restaurant. Expect a high-end Chinese dining experience and the Peking duck is the main attraction. The set lunch features roasted Cantonese duck.
The offer: 2 courses for £28 (Several set menus available)
Available: Monday - Friday
Kerridge's Bar and Grill
Kerridge's Bar and GrillCorinthia Hotel, Whitehall Pl, Westminster, London SW1A 2BD
Tom Kerridge earned two Michelin stars at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow and this sees him setting up shop at the Corinthia hotel for his London debut. The main dinner menu isn't on the cheap side (the fish and chips is pricey) so this is an ideal way to give the restaurant a whirl.
The offer: Two courses for £24 or three for £29.50.
The choice: Two options per course
Available: Monday - Friday
More about Kerridge's Bar and Grill
Leroy
LeroyShoreditch - 18 Phipp Street, London EC2A 4NU
Small plates, sharers and snacks are on the menu at this Michelin-starred restaurant, with a strong focus on their eclectic wine list. They have an "ethos of simplicity and flavour, food that is thoughtful but not showy"
The offer: 2 courses for £22, 3 for £25.
Available: Thursday - Friday
Lyle's
Lyle'sTea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ
James Lowe's restaurant at the Tea Building in Shoreditch proved that a restaurant in Shoreditch could gain a Michelin star. This all-day restaurant showcases his food with a regularly changing menu. Look out for special guests popping in from time to time.
The offer: Three courses for £30
Available: Tuesday - Friday
Marcus
MarcusThe Berkeley, Wilton Pl, Belgravia, London SW1X 7RL
Marcus Wareing's flagship restaurant (and the only one where you'll find him in the kitchen) is Michelin-starred but the service is modern and unfussy. If it's on the menu, order the custard tart as an added extra.
The offer: 3 courses for £55
The choice: Three options per course
Mere
Mere74 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T
This is the first solo restaurant from ex-Le Gavroche chef Monica Galetti, with her husband David Galetti in charge of the wine. So you'll want a quick pit-stop in their bar before dining here.
The offer: Two courses for £29 and three for £35 (cheese for a £6.50 supplement).
Available: Monday - Friday
Murano
MuranoQueen St, Mayfair, London W1J 5PP
Angela Hartnett's flagship, Michelin-starred restaurant serves up exquisite Italian food but at a price. Happily, the set menu brings it down to most people's budgets.
The offer: Two courses for £40 and three for £45
The choice: Three options per course
Muse
Muse38 Groom Pl, Belgravia, London SW1X 7BA
This is Tom Aikens restaurant in London, set across two floors of a Belgravia townhouse. Expect a range of dishes with extreme attention to detail in the creation, all reflecting on Aikens' life.
The offer: Five courses for £75
Available: Thursday - Saturday
Noble Rot (Holborn & Soho)
Noble Rot (Holborn & Soho)51 Lamb's Conduit St, London WC1N 3NB and 2 Greek St Soho London W1D 4NB
Both the Noble Rots are excellent spots for whiling away an agreeable afternoon and you can be sure that the wine lists are on point too. The set lunches at both represent excellent value - and you could always spend the money you've saved on more wine.
The offer: Two courses for £18, three courses for £22
The choice: Set menu
Pied a Terre
Pied a Terre34 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NH
Expect exquisitely sourced and prepared ingredients from David Moore's Michelin-starred kitchen where Asimakis Chaniotis is now running the kitchen.
The offer: Three courses for £43 (many more options available)
The choice: Set menu
Find out more about Pied a Terre
Pollen Street Social
Pollen Street Social8-10 Pollen St, Mayfair, London W1S 1NQ
Jason Atherton has a mini restaurant empire across London, but this is his flagship and the one where you may see him in the kitchen too.
The offer: Three courses for £55
Available: Tuesday - Saturday
Find out more about Pollen Street Social
Savoy Grill
Savoy GrillSavoy Hotel, London WC2R 0EU
This iconic British venue is now one of Gordon Ramsay's group of restaurants - and remains one of London's classic dining institutions.
The offer: Two courses for £39, three courses for £45
Available: Monday - Sunday
Find out more about Savoy Grill
Townsend
Townsend77-82 Whitechapel High St, Shadwell, London E1 7QX
Set within the Whitechapel Gallery, this restaurant from Nick Gilkinson and Joe Fox (ex Petersham Nurseries) serves up modern British food with an ever-changing seasonal menu.
The offer: Two courses for £19, three courses for £24
Available: Tuesday - Friday
Wildflower
WildflowerBuck Street Market, Camden High Street, NW1 8QP
This is the first restaurant from Irish chef Adrian Martin, set within a shipping container in Camden's Buck St Market. There's a big focus on locally sourced and foraged produce as well as sustainability - expect all that to apply to a regularly changing menu.
The offer: Two courses for £24, three courses for £30
Available: Wednesday - Saturday
Find out more about Wildflower
Wild Honey St James
Wild Honey St James8 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5NG
Anthony Demetre's famed restaurant left its original Mayfair location to re-open in a much swankier space on Pall Mall. Here, he's combining French techniques with British ingredients and you'll see many of the old favourites on the menu.
The offer: Two courses for £27, three courses for £32
Available: Tuesday - Saturday
Find out more about Wild Honey
If you're wondering why London's best known set lunch deal - the one at Le Gavroche - isn't on here, it's because they're currently shut for lunch due to staff shortages.
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